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OTIS M. TORRENCE, OF GROOM, TEXAS.

SWITCH.

Application led May 11, 1910, Serial No. 560,627.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Renewed May 10, 1911. Serial No. 626,347.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Oris M. TORRENCE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Groom, in the county of Carson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to means for throwing a switch point from a moving car and the principal object of the same is to provide novel switch operating mechanism and means carried by a car for automatically actuating said mechanism so that a switch may be operated without the necessity of stopping the car.

In carrying out the objects of the invention generally stated above it will be understood, of course, that the essential features thereof are necessarily susceptible of changes in details and structural arrangements, one preferred and practical embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the operation of the invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a car equipped with the improved means for actuating the switch throwing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of a car showing the switch mechanism being actuated by the car.

Referring to said accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 designates the main rails of a railway,` and 2 a switch therefor. A switch stand 3 is arranged to one side of said switch 2, said stand being in the form of an upright tube from which a horizontal arm 4 projects toward the switch. The free end of said arm has a rocking lever 5 pivotally connected thereto, the upper end of which has a rod connection 6 with a bell crank lever 7 pivotally mounted in said stand 3 in position to be rocked through the slot 8 through which rod 6 enters. A second bell crank lever 72L is pivotally mounted in the lower portion of stand 3 and has a rod connection 9 with bell crank lever 7. A spring 10 connects bell crank lever 7a with the lower portion of said stand 3 and is constantly exerting a downward pull on the member of bell crank lever 7a that connects with bell crank lever 7. Said bell crank lever 7a has a rod connection 11 with switch 2. Rod 11 extends beneath the surface of the ground.

As will be understood from the foregoing tripping lever 5 is held in aposition adjacent to the path of movement of the roof of a car, and to provide means for automatically operating said lever it is contemplated equipping the cars with tripping bars 12 which extend longitudinally of the longitudinal sides of a car roof and are pivotally connected to the car roof by the regularly space bracket arms 13 which pro-ject from the pivot ears 14. Two bars are provided for a car, one at each side. The end portions of said bars are inturned as indicated at 15 and the ends thereof are mounted in suitable journals 16. Pulleys 17 are carried by the roof of the car for supporting the cables 18 which have one end fastened to the bars 12 the other portion of said cable extending through the roof of the car and is fastened to a hand lever 19 that is positioned within reach of the motorman. Normally the bars 12 rest on the roof of the car so that they will clear the roller 20 at the lower end of lever 5 but when it is necessary to throw the switch, the bar 12 adjacent said lever 5 is raised by the motorman through t-he medium of hand lever 19 and cable 18 to cause said bar to assume the position shown to the left in Fig. 3. Vhen in this position, the end roller 20 of lei/er 5 is in the path o-f movement of the curved forward end of bar 12 and the contact of said end with said roller will rock lever 5 and thereby throw the switch.

What I claim as my invention'v is An apparatus of the character described, an elongated bar provided with rounded inturned ends, means for journaling said inturned ends hto the top of a car, means for hinging the intermediate portion of said bar to the top of a car, means carried by said car for raising and lowering said bar, and switch-operating means in the path of movement of said bar when raised.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTIS M. TOR-RENCE.

Witnesses:

JN0. L. KNORPP, I. C. UNsELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

